List of the most popular hashtags for theme #OCEANFUTURESSOCIETY

We are awaiting news about making the trip to Srednyaya Bay in Russia to provide assistance for the release of the whales being held in the “Whale Jail”. Jean-Michel Cousteau, oceanographer, environmentalist and special advisor to the Whale Sanctuary Project, says, “I strongly believe that the best outcome for the orcas and belugas is to be rehabilitated and returned to the wild, not to be committed to a life in captivity in aquariums. I and my team stand ready to assist Russian authorities to make a successful return of the orcas and belugas to the wild a reality.” In addition to the evaluation of the health of the animals, another critical factor will be developing a safe and practical program to transport and release the whales. With 10 orcas and 87 beluga whales being held in these pens, every step in the process must be very carefully planned and implemented. Members of our team have the necessary experience to advise the Russian authorities on the preparation and initiation of such a plan. But Cousteau is emphasizing that time is of the essence if the whales are to be restored to a healthy condition so that they can be released to the open ocean. Stay tuned for more updates and for what you can do to help. To read more about this situation- link in bio. #whaleaidrussia #freerussianwhales #dontbuyaticket #blackfish #belugas #orcas #compassion #captivitykills #whalesanctuaryproject #oceanfuturessociety @freerussianwhales

“It’s a very exciting time,” says Jean-Michel Cousteau, one of the signatories to the historic Joint Statement signed today. . Also - more glimpses inside the facility where the captive whales are being kept! . The Joint Statement is signed by the Governor of the Primorsky Region O.N. Kozhemyako, President of Ocean Futures Society Jean-Michel Cousteau, and Executive Director of The Whale Sanctuary Project Charles Vinick. . #belugas #belugawhales #orca #orcas #whales #cetaceans #freethewhales #emptythetanks #emptythetanksworldwide #marinemammals #freethewhales #jeanmichelcousteau #oceanfuturessociety #russia #freerussianwhales #whitewhale #sealife #whalesanctuary #echolocation #whalelove #orcalove #beautifulworld #healthyplanet #marinelife

“Cousteau’s arrival is definitely a big plus.” - Dmitry Lisitsyn of Sakhalin Environmental Watch. . International press is covering this unprecedented meeting of Russian officials and the team of whale experts and scientists assembled by The Whale Sanctuary Project who are working to help keep the 87 belugas and 10 orcas healthy following their illegal capture for sale by Russian whalers for sale to China. . Press articles report that the whale holding pens may be closed for future use now there is more awareness that whales are not meant for captivity and theme parks. It will be a difficult undertaking to return nearly 100 whales, but, Russian environmental groups are saying that Jean-Michel’s arrival in Russia and his message that each whale is an individual, like us, and that the whales need to be returned to their homes and families is making a difference. . You can help fund this historic effort to save these whales through diplomacy through your contributions. To help, please follow the link in our bio. Your contribution, whatever the amount, will make a difference. . Jean-Michel and the Whale Sanctuary Team are not being permitted to take photos of the pens and whales. This appears to be a photo taken much earlier, prior to the current icy conditions. The bay is currently frozen over and ice needs to be continually removed from the surface to allow the whales to breath. . Photo credit: Tass. . #belugas #belugawhales #orca #orcas #whales #cetaceans #freethewhales #emptythetanks #emptythetanksworldwide #marinemammals #freethewhales #jeanmichelcousteau #oceanfuturessociety #russia #freerussianwhales #whitewhale #sealife #whalesanctuary #echolocation #whalelove #orcalove #beautifulworld #healthyplanet #marinelife

Tap to hear the sounds of wild killer whales! . Jean-Michel Cousteau says that orcas are to the ocean what we are to land - the species at the top. Orcas, also called killer whales, are highly intelligent and emotionally advanced animals that live in families and roam vast areas of open ocean. They have language, dialect, culture and learned behavior. The part of their brain that controls empathy is thought to be more developed than our own. We now understand that taking orcas away from their families and placing them in concrete tanks for entertainment and profit is very cruel and unethical. Jean-Michel says, “The time has come to view captivity of cetaceans as a part of our past, not a tragic part of our future.” . There are 10 orcas and 87 beluga whales being held in Russia right now following an illegal hunt by whaling companies. Russia has blocked the sale of the whales to China, but the whales need to be held in pens until the ice thaws. Jean-Michel Cousteau is working with The Whale Sanctuary Project in Russia right now to assess the health of the whales and to help plan their return to the Sea of Okhotsk next summer. For more information, please visit the link in our bio. Thanks! . #belugas #belugawhales #orca #orcas #whales #cetaceans #freethewhales #emptythetanks #emptythetanksworldwide #marinemammals #freethewhales #jeanmichelcousteau #oceanfuturessociety #russia #freerussianwhales #whitewhale #sealife #whalesanctuary #echolocation #whalelove #orcalove #beautifulworld #healthyplanet #marinelife

What is life like for a beluga captured in Russia's Sea of Okhotsk and sold into captivity? - In the summer of 2004, two young beluga whales, Skyla and Orion, were captured, seized from their families, packed into crates and loaded onto a plane in Vladivostok, Russia. They were sold to Marineland Canada in Niagara Falls, 6,000 miles away from their native habitat and natal families. Over a period of nine years, another 24 would be captured from the Sea of Okhotsk and sold to Marineland. - The 87 belugas and 10 orcas currently being held at the “whale jail” on Russia’s Far East coast come from that same region. They were also sold into captivity-captured for  marine parks in China. But people spoke up and a global outcry ensued. Jean-Michel Cousteau and the Whale Sanctuary Project assembled a team of experts at the invitation of the Russian government to travel to Srednyaya Bay in Russia to assess the whales and make recommendations for their rehabilitation and release. And though it will be a long-term project, with the right kind of care, all of them can be returned to the ocean and SPARED the horrendous life in a concrete tank that some of their older kin could not. - Link in bio to read more about Skyla and Orion’s story, and our Whale Aid Russia mission. - #endcetaceancaptivity #WhaleAidRussia  #thanksbutnotanks #whalesanctuaryproject  #freerussianwhales #whalejail  #oceanfuturessociety #blackfish  #dontbuyaticket #captivitykills #belugas  #orcas #compassion #marinelandcanada #jeanmichelcousteau #emptythetanksworldwide #emptythetanks #wildandfree

In the preliminary report prepared by our #whaleaidrussia team, our assessments and recommendations to Russian authorities on behalf of the whales being held in the “whale jail”, determine that orcas may require just 1-2 months of rehabilitation. Most belugas may also require only short-term rehabilitation. However, some younger belugas may potentially require longer rehabilitation before release. - Some key recommendations in the report are further individual health assessments and monitoring, net pen management (for example, enlarge pens and provide more room per animal; remove side panels on orca enclosures to increase airflow; install water pumps to improve turn-over of water); changes to feeding methodologies (for example, re-focus attention of the cetaceans underwater by using feeder tubes, feed at variable times and in variable amounts to mimic natural conditions); adaptation, re-adaptation, and rehabilitation (for example, stop any training and implement appropriate use of enrichment and stimulants to re-focus the attention of the animals underwater); as well as site management. - We stand prepared to further assist Russian authorities and collaborate with Russian scientists in the successful release of the orcas and belugas held in Srednyaya Bay back to the wild! To learn more about our WhaleAid Russia mission and to read the full report, link in bio. #whaleaidrussia #orcas #belugas #captivitykills #oceanfuturessociety

HISTORIC VIDEO! See the signing of the Joint Statement that states all whales held captive in Nakhodka will be released to their natural environments. . From left to right: Charles Vinick, Executive Director of The Whale Sanctuary Project, Oleg Kozhemyako, Governor of the Primorsky Region, and Jean-Michel Cousteau, President of Ocean Futures Society. . #belugas #belugawhales #orca #orcas #whales #cetaceans #freethewhales #emptythetanks #emptythetanksworldwide #marinemammals #freethewhales #jeanmichelcousteau #oceanfuturessociety #russia #freerussianwhales #whitewhale #sealife #whalesanctuary #echolocation #whalelove #orcalove #beautifulworld #healthyplanet #marinelife

Breaking news! HISTORIC MOMENT! . A Joint statement stating that all of the captured whales currently held in Nakhodka will be released to their natural environment! . This newly released video shows Jean-Michel and the Whale Sanctuary Team led by Executive Director Charles Vinick while on their tour of the holding pens where the whales are being held. . #belugas #belugawhales #orca #orcas #whales #cetaceans #freethewhales #emptythetanks #emptythetanksworldwide #marinemammals #freethewhales #jeanmichelcousteau #oceanfuturessociety #russia #freerussianwhales #whitewhale #sealife #whalesanctuary #echolocation #whalelove #orcalove #beautifulworld #healthyplanet #marinelife

Tap to hear the sounds of wild belugas! . Beluga whales are sometimes called the canaries of the sea because they are very vocal communicators that have a unique language of clicks, whistles and clangs. They are easily recognizable because of their white color and their round forehead, which houses their very advanced echolocation organ that allows them to sense their surroundings and to find holes in ice where they can surface. Belugas are highly social animals that live in pods where they play and hunt together. . There are 87 beluga whales and 10 orcas being held in Russia right now following an illegal hunt by whaling companies. Russia has blocked the sale of the whales to China but the whales need to be held in pens until the ice thaws. Jean-Michel Cousteau is working with The Whale Sanctuary Project in Russia right now to assess the health of the whales and to help plan the whales return next summer. . For more information, please visit the link in our bio. Thanks! . #belugas #belugawhales #orca #orcas #whales #cetaceans #freethewhales #emptythetanks #emptythetanksworldwide #marinemammals #freethewhales #jeanmichelcousteau #oceanfuturessociety #russia #freerussianwhales #whitewhale #sealife #whalesanctuary #echolocation #whalelove #orcalove #beautifulworld #healthyplanet #marinelife